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Summary List of stories Phase I Day: Honor, Duty, And Family << chapter 26 Chapter 27 of 75 The Chimera's Loyalties chapter 28 >> << previous scene Scene 1 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text Rainbow Dash leaned forwards, cheering loudly from the bleachers that had been set up in the fields outside Ponyville, Applejack grinning beside him despite herself and their foal Avalon comfortably resting in a baby seat, clad in a onesie and a sweater and with a matching cap on her head. A pacifier was in her mouth, and Antares was sitting on the bench beside her, the foal continuously leaning in and hugging Gymbr back against his chest as he stared with awe at the baby between turning his eyes back out to the field and giggling at the competition. A few weeks ago, while they had been in Ponyville to help Celestia and Odin with a project the two were working on alongside Zecora, Luna had come across Big Mac putting up posters for a tournament that was being held by the volunteer infantry to raise enough money to pay for new equipment and repairs to the shoddy military base in town. Luna had stabbed one of the posters with her horn after inspecting it, then cheerfully run all the way back to the library with the poster flying around her face to show it off and demand that they all enter: her reasoning being that the volunteer infantry – composed mainly of former Starlit Knights – was what kept Ponyville safe. Celestia plainly refused to fight in what she was fairly certain would be nothing but ponies beating stupidly on each other, and Odin had asked sourly if Luna just wanted the music of a cheering audience while she pummeled ponies pointlessly. Luna had grumbled, bullied them for a while, and then given up and stormed off to find other ponies she could round up. Eventually, she heckled Scrivener Blooms, Pinkamena, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Big Mac into taking part in the tournament, as well as herself. At this news, many of the volunteer infantry dropped out of the competition and thus left them with a thinner roster, which threatened to lose them attendance. Luna, however, was quite serious about helping out the volunteer infantry, although not because of any reason she had confessed... but because both so many of them had once been ill-fated soldiers, and because if the volunteer infantry fell apart, she knew that Celestia would have no choice but to order the Guard of Equestria to establish a military base in this area... and she direly did not want a law-enforcing military base in Ponyville for a multitude of reasons, least of which was the fact that Ponyville had once more become like her own miniature kingdom. So Luna had taken the initiative and sent out letters to the largest, nearest cities, advertising the competition. And as hoped, Luna had garnered the interest of a variety of warriors – both who had earned the title and simply applied it to themselves – and thus the fighting tournament and business in Ponyville had swelled. Even more, many ponies, Nibelung, and other peoples were coming from all across the nation to watch the fights. They were at the quarterfinals now, and Luna was gleefully watching from the large tent set up for the combatants to prepare in. They were only permitted to use training weapons – hence why Pinkamena hadn't killed anyone – and unicorns weren't allowed to use past a certain degree of magic – hence why Twilight had been disqualified early in – but the fighters that were left were skilled, calm, and likely didn't need the extra tools to be lethal if they wanted to. Eight fighters were left, including the two currently on the field and Luna herself: the others were Big Mac, two Pegasi, a Nibelung, and a minotaur. Luna was delighted to see the minotaurs, and even more so when she had spoken to the burly giant at length and found his culture was similar to that of an old, lost friend's. At first he had been wary of her, likely thinking she wanted to probe him for information, but after a few days he had loosened up and they had begun to talk more freely. Then Luna grinned widely, licking her lips and turning her eyes back outwards to the field to watch as Pinkamena snarled and yanked her buckler off to fling it like a discus at her opponent, and Scrivener Blooms ducked with a curse as it shot just over his head, his armor dented and cracked, his features bruised... but the half-demon was bleeding from the mouth and her own armor had been heavily damaged. Pieces of broken weapon littered the battlefield, and one unicorn had already snuck down and reached over the fence to claim a shattered piece of dagger as a keepsake, as Cowlick shouted cheerfully from where she was sitting with Greece and Ross: "Come on, Scrivener, you put up with beatings worse than this from that wife of yours!" Scrivener grimaced, and then Pinkamena snarled and charged, and the stallion winced and scurried backwards before the half-demon snapped: "Come on, Scrivener, I should be dead by now!" "What the hell are you talking about?" Scrivener winced and ducked when Pinkamena lunged at him, and then he cursed as she tried to headbutt him, the stallion sliding backwards and seizing her by the back of the skull with both front hooves when she just missed, her eyes bulging before Scrivener shoved down to send her smacking face-first into the ground. Then he scrambled backwards towards the low, rickety fencing that caged in the fighters, and the half-demon snarled as she shoved up to her hooves and charged at him. She leapt forwards as Scrivener fell back against the fencing, staring at her before she dived and grinned, stretching her front hooves when Scrivener dropped flat on his back, and he winced as she punched both hooves into the fence to stop herself from plowing into it as the stallion curled his rear legs up against his chest. Instead, she was now leaning over him, eyes glowing as she grinned down at him with a slow lick of her teeth. "Hi." "Bye." Scrivener said calmly, and Pinkamena frowned before Scrivener seized her forelegs with his own front hooves and shoved his hind legs into her stomach, kicking her hard head-over-heels over the fence and flipping her out of the battlefield with a yell of fury, the stallion wheezing in relief as a bell rang and announced the fight was over. He climbed up to his hooves, grinning brightly at his plan... and then Pinkamena crashed angrily through the fencing behind him, tackling him in a hail of splinters even as armored guards rushed forwards as she slammed the stallion's head into the ground, shouting furiously: "Goddamn crowbait, you won't knock me out but you'll win by a goddamn technicality?" Pinkamena seized one of the wooden slats, then slammed it down and broke it over the back of Scrivener's skull, Luna wincing painfully at this as she blinked her eyes rapidly, only glad that Scrivener had a hard head before the half-demon was finally dragged off the stunned stallion by shouting guards. Then the winged unicorn grimaced, rubbing absently at her features and muttering: "Well, Scrivy always was too smart for his own good..." Luna turned her eyes back to the other competitors, smiling slightly over them all: Big Mac, looking calm as ever, dressed in heavy plate and using his shield across his lap like a table as he serenely read a book... her minotaur friend, his hands crossed in front of the simple kilt he was wearing, weighted iron charms around his wrists and neck, one horn tall and adorned with silver rings and the other broken off near the base... the Nibelung, moodily polishing his blunted war axe and grumbling about not being allowed to use real weapons. And one of the Pegasi was grumpily adjusting his bracers and lightweight armor, mumbling constantly to himself under his breath as he looked furtively back and forth around at the other fighters. "Bora Scura and Luna Brynhild ?" a unicorn asked calmly as he pushed into the tent from another opening, a clipboard floating in front of him. "Your match is next... wait, where's Bora Scura?" Luna looked curiously over at the Pegasus, but he simply shrugged and rubbed at his dark-blue features, saying moodily: "Don't look at me, he's the other Pegasus. Said he-" "Would be right back, and here I am." grumbled a bearded Pegasus that shoved in past the unicorn, almost knocking him over. He was dressed only in lightweight armor over his body, but interlocked metal plating protected all four limbs, thick enough to deflect most attacks. Luna thought it was cocky and arrogant, but the Pegasus had made it this far... and she gave him a sour look as he gave her a thin smile, his dark eyes glinting as he shook his pepper-colored mane out and rubbed at his short black beard. "You're pretty good on the field. And you look so cute dressed up in that pretty armor." "Oh, is this 'trash talk?'" Luna asked curiously, and then she grinned over at him, saying kindly: "I shall try. Thy face looks similar to my son's used diapers. I would recommend dropping out of the competition before I make thy appearance into something even uglier, but perhaps thou shall be lucky and instead my blows will pretty thee up." "What is mommy doing in a fighting competition? Besides, you got wings but you clearly don't know how to use them. I've been watching you and you're all ground-work, babe. That means I get the aerial advantage, just where I want to be." Bora retorted, and then he glared over his shoulder as the unicorn cleared his throat. "As long as you remain under twenty feet of height. Another warning and you're out of the competition." the unicorn said dryly, and then he looked moodily between Bora and Luna. "You have ten minutes to prep." Luna smiled and nodded as Bora grunted and turned, leaving the tent again, and the winged unicorn looked meditatively after the Pegasus before her minotaur friend rose a hand and said mildly: "Josef would be happy to break his wings for you, Luna Brynhild." "'Tis very kind of thou to offer, Josef, but thou would not steal from this poor mother the chance to break the mighty warrior's wings herself, would thou?" Luna asked kindly, and Josef and a few other warriors chuckled before her eyes alit on Big Mac, who only frowned slightly. "Oh fear not, I shan't kill him. 'Twould be too cruel to the reaper, whom for once I am on good terms with. But I kill this hideous thing, and Death will come after me next for forcing him to drag that sodding wretch all the way to Helheim." "Ain't the fight I'm worried about." Big Mac said quietly, even as Josef laughed and nodded and the Nibelung grinned a little. Luna's own smile, however, died down at Mac's words, and she sighed and nodded moodily before glancing out into the field. Scrivener Blooms had gone into the stands to sit with Antares, and Scarlet Sage was safe with Apple Bloom and her other friends. Twilight was out there as well, sitting beside Celestia, and even Odin was in attendance today, watching with a nostalgia that was strangely-soft for such a bloody competition. Pinkamena, meanwhile, had likely been thrown off the premises, which was likely part of why Rainbow Dash was obviously gleefully crowing so loudly about the battle. Luna rolled her shoulders, shaking herself quickly out before she looked thoughtfully over at the crimson stallion, smiling a little. "Thou may have a point, my friend, but... fear not. We are in a safe place here, and Ponyville... 'tis my perfect little kingdom." "Perfect little kingdom." muttered the remaining Pegasus, and Luna tossed him a sour look. "Who... even are you, again? What's your name, Hilda?" "Brynhild." Luna said scathingly, and then he pointed a hoof at him, making him wince back. "Call me Hilda again and I shall break thee into tiny little pieces and feed those tiny little pieces to Phooka." "Well sorry, miss touchy." the Pegasus huffed, then he turned around, going back to mumbling to himself as Big Mac gave Luna a pointed look she ignored with a huff, turning her eyes moodily upwards. After a few minutes, Bora Scura stormed back in and half-shoved past Luna to head out onto the field, and Luna growled and stomped her hooves, muttering: "Oh how I shall relish this. Josef, my good friend, will thou please do me the favor of brokering a wager?" "Is possible. Ten percent cut?" Josef asked curiously, tilting his head and rubbing at his broken horn as the Nibelung and remaining Pegasus both looked quickly up with interest, and Big Mac slowly rubbed at his face. "What? Ten percent, art thou a lunatic? Twenty percent, Josef, we are friends, are we not?" Luna asked in an almost hurt voice, and the minotaur smiled at her warmly, bowing his head in agreement and gratitude. "Very good. The deal is thus: I am willing to gamble... uh..." She paused meditatively, looking over at Scrivener Blooms, and the earth pony in the stands winced before throwing his forelegs up with a shout of frustration, earning awkward looks from the ponies around him and a giggle from Antares before the foal mimicked him and fell backwards onto one of the lower bleachers. "'Tis funny, Scrivener Blooms could never be tempted by treasure and yet once he gets it, he clings to it like a damnable diamond dog." With that, Luna turned and hurried over to the large satchel pack she carried her extra equipment in, shuffling through it before pulling out a large, velvet bag and tossing this to Josef, who caught it easily in one hand and then glanced down in surprise at the weight. "'Tis about two hundred bits of value in there. Bet it all on me pummeling Bora Scura into mush in five minutes, defeat by knockout." "Luna Brynhild, five minutes, knockout." Josef echoed calmly, and Luna nodded firmly once before the minotaur paused and held up a finger, asking curiously: "Josef is curious, also. Last battle... demon pony... how you say, she took a fall?" "Well, I would say more that she permitted herself to be thrown, but aye." Luna grinned widely, winking across at Josef as the Pegasus and Nibelung both looked up in surprise. "Well, they are the best of friends, although... 'tis rather obvious that the half-demon did not try her hardest, isn't it?" Luna paused, then licked her lips slowly as a shiver of delight passed through her that made the Pegasus and Nibelung stare. "Ooh, but the thought of Pinkamena and Scrivener brutally pummeling each other in an actual battle... it gives me chills." "You make Josef uncomfortable. But in good way." the minotaur said kindly, and Luna threw her head back and laughed at this before the bull turned with a grunt, tossing the bag once in the air by the strings tying it closed and catching it easily by the body of the cloth as he strode calmly out of the tent, passing by the unicorn with the clipboard as he reentered. The stallion looked over at Luna, simply nodding in return to her curious look, and the winged unicorn smiled before she turned and calmly strode out of the tent through the flap in front of her and down the narrow corridor of fencing to step into the field to the cheers of the audience as a magnified voice echoed clearly: "Round two of the quarterfinals is Bora Scura versus Luna Brynhild! Fighters, take your positions!" "Ponyville is so much less boring than it used to be. 'Tis fun!" Luna said cheerfully, trotting easily up to the halfway point of the field before she grinned widely across at Bora, winking at him as the Pegasus set himself and glared across at her challengingly. "Good luck to thee, Bora. Thou hast my promise I shan't kill thee." "I promise to try and break your jaw so you stop embarrassing yourself with your ridiculous accent." Bora retorted, and Luna's eyes slowly narrowed before the Pegasus grinned. "Don't worry, miss mommy. I'm sure your hubby didn't marry you for your looks anyway." "I dare thee to make one more remark. One more." Luna threatened, and the grin of the Pegasus faltered only a little as the winged unicorn set herself, gritting her teeth and ignoring everything around her neck, from the roar of the crowd to the calls of the announcer, listening for one sound, and one sound only... And then Bora Scura looked up and said clearly: "I'm betting the reason you aren't in the kitchen or the bedroom right now is because you're no good at either, right? I bet-" The ding of the bell to start the battle sounded, and Luna lunged forwards, slamming a hoof up under Bora's jaw and knocking him reeling upwards stupidly before Luna's other hoof descended in a hammer blow that caught him in the crown of the skull and drove him face-first down into the ground hard enough to send up a puff of dirt and grass. For a few moments, Bora only lay dumbly in place, the crowd going silent... and then Luna looked down at him with distaste before she stomped firmly on one of his wings and twisted savagely, the Pegasus howling in pain and quickly scrambling backwards as Luna said mildly: "Oh a thousand pardons, I'm just a silly mare. Did I break it?" Bora only snarled, then he charged towards her furiously... and without flinching, Luna simply slammed her head forwards into Bora Scura's face just as he began to reach his hooves up to grab her, once more knocking him flat as she looked grumpily down at him. "Thou art messy. And an idiot. And rude. I do not like thee very much, is what I am getting at here. Does thou understand or should I put it into even smaller words so thy insectile little mind can process this better?" Bora cursed under his breath, then he snarled and lunged forwards, but Luna leapt into the air, flapping her wings once to give herself a greater boost before she simply dropped and slammed all four hooves down into the center of his back with a loud crack, Bora howling in agony as Luna looked thoughtfully down at him over her shoulder. "Was that thy spine or one of thy wings?" Luna paused, then carefully twisted her rear left leg, grinding her hoof firmly down into the base of one of the Pegasus' wings, and Bora gave another howl of pain before Luna hopped off him, grumpily beginning to walk away. "Damnation. And here I was hoping I had broken thee into two pieces." Bora snarled, crawling up to his hooves and turning around before charging at her back, blinded by fury and humiliation... and without needing to look, Luna kicked both rear hooves back into his face with a loud crunch, knocking the Pegasus sprawling into a prone position on his side, a bit of drool falling from his jaws as he struggled to stay awake. Luna dropped back to all fours and glared over her shoulder at the Pegasus as he shivered, trying to get up... and then he simply fell flat, and the winged unicorn nodded firmly once to herself as she grumbled: "Vermin." With that, Luna simply turned and head grumpily back across the field towards the tent as the audience erupted into cheers, and she smiled primly to herself as she rose her head, muttering: "No good in bed. Mares who are not good in bed do not get such applause." Category:Transcript Category:Story